Process of preparing acetylene



more methyl groups or hydrogen atoms substi- Patented-Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES 2.153.115 PROCESS OF PREPARING AGETYLENE Robert E. Burk, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Standard Oil Company, poratioir of' Ohio Cleveland. Ohio, a cor- No Drawing. Application August 28, 1937,

Serial No.

6 Claims. (Cl. 260 679) In obtaining acetylene from mixed sources of such gas in assbciationwith other gases, it is a well known procedure to scrub the gas with-ace-,' tone to dissolve the acetylene. 'This procedure 5 however is subject to a very serious disadvantage that the acetone has such a high vapor pressure as to incur expensive losses in the process, and attempt to avoid such lomes with such agent necessitates recourse to particularly expensive equipment. I have now found however that acetylene can be prepared in a particularly eflective manner, making'possible relatively simple pro cedure which is free from undue expense. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in *the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however, of. but a few of. the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

.Acetylene is obtained or produced in demred manner,-for instance by suitably cracking hydro,-" carbon material, a feasible procedure involving the subjecting of hydrocarbq us of the. methane series, to cracking in an electric arc furnace. The gaseousmixture containing acetylene and other gases varying in accordance with the precise conditions which have preceded, is then subjected to the action of a polyketone. For this, I prefer adilretonc. ,Alpha, beta and gamma diketones may be employed, having the properties of amn- 'ity for acetylene together with merely slight polymerizing tendency.v Diketones having one or tut'ed by; alkyl, aryLhalogen substituted alkyl and aryl-groups, etc. may be employed. cm-

pounds of suitable amnity for acetylene and low tendency if of relatively' high melting point may be employed in mixture with compounds of lower melting point or solvents. In substitution groups as above-mentioned, it is in general advisable to avoid compounds in which a carbon double bonds occur coniusatedwith the carbonyl groups. some of thcalpha diketones have a notably :slight tendency to polymerize, and are ly applicable. 'l'he polymerizing tendency 0 beta diketones is reduced particularly also by'substitution of the alpha hydrogen atoms. In all cases, a suitably low polymerizing tendency may be had in the compounds employed, and where desired such tendency may be assured by admixture of poly-phenols and equlvalent agents inhibitingpolymerization.

Instances of diones applicable are the alpha dl ketone, diac'etyl, or butane dione, 61136030381, also derivatives thereof in'which oneorbothmethylgroupsarereplecedbyother to pentane dione to hexane dione 2,5,

comprises acetylene-containing to butane dione.

acetylene-containing 1 comprises to a polyketone guarded alkyl or aryl groups, as benzyl, CeHCO.CO.CsH5; also such beta diketones as pentane dione 2,4,- CH3CO.CH2.C O.CH3, and derivatives in which -hydrogen is substituted, particularly'hydrogens of the CH2 group; also gamma diketones, such as hexane dione 2,5, 'CHa.O.CI-l:.CHr.CO.CHa, and derivatives havin hydrogen substituted by alkyl, aryl, halogen substituted alkyl and .aryl groups, etc. 3 The treatment of the acetylene mixture with the dione is desirably carried out atordinary temperature, although lower temperatures may be used, and slightly higher temperatures. The acetylene is taken up selectively by the dione, and finally by heating the dione the acetylene 15, is drivenoif and collected i As an example: An acetylene-containing gaseous mixture, for instancefrom pyrolyzing hydrocarbons at high temperature, is subjected to contactexposure to pentane dione 2,4,.at the temperature of C. and 750 mm. pressure. The acetylene is taken up thereby, about seven and a half volumes to each volume, and other gases pass on unchang Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be. employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any ofthe following claims, or the equivalent of such,: be employed.

I thereforeparticularly point out and dis- 'tlnctly claim'as my invention:

1. A process of the character described, which comprises selectively taking up acetylene from an acetylene-containing gas by subjecting the latter 2,4, and subsequently separating the acetylene therefrom.

- 2. A process of the character described, which comprises selectivelytaking up acetylene from an acetylene-containing gas by subjecting the latter and subsequently separating the acetylene therefrom.

3. A process of the character described,- which selectively taking up acetylene from an gas by subjecting the latter 4. A process of thecharacter described, which taking up acetylene from an gas by subiectins' the latter to a diketone and Poly-phenol.

--5. A process of the described, which go selectively taking up acetylenefrom an subjecting the latter a comprises selectively acetylene-containing gas by to adioneof sligh p a tendency.

6. A process of the cnaracterdescrlbed which comprises selectively taking up acetylene from an 56 acetylene-containing gas by subjecting the latter against tion.

RDBIBT lBUR-K. 

